Dangote To Create 200,000 Jobs In Agric Sector

The president/CE, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has revealed his intention to create over 200,000 new jobs through some of his investments in the agriculture sector in the northern part of the country between now and 2018.He also advised Nigerians to encourage governments at all levels to implement reforms that would help in achieving a more diversified economy.Dangote, who made these statements at the just concluded Katsina State Investment & Economic Summit, noted that the current reality in the international oil market provided the best opportunity for the nation to diversify the economy, leveraging on the agriculture sector.He specifically called on the state governors to take advantage of the prevailing situation, and follow the lead of the federal government which had commenced the diversification process at the national level.According to him, the Dangote Group had commenced the production of rice in Jigawa State at a competitive price, as partof the national quest for self-sufficiency in rice production.“Dangote Group is working to increase yield of rice per hectare from the present 1.4 to maximum 2 tonnes per hectare in Jigawa State.“Already, a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) has been signed by the Dangote Group to produce rice in Jigawa on a rice value chain, from planting to retaining”.He explained that the company would be cultivating 16,000 hectares, as well as developing an out-grower scheme using the same technology and the same arrangement to produce another 16,000 hectares.“I believe this is the best period in the history of our country to actually diversify our economy, rather than seeing the current happenings from a negative perspective“It was under this same kind of situation that countries like Brazil transformed their economies, and today they have become one of the leading economies in the world.“We are lucky that the glut we are talking about only affects the oil sector, and does not affect commodities which we have the capacity to export in the agriculture sector.” he noted.Accordingly, Dangote advised that since the northern part of the country possess vast potential in the field of agriculture, state governments in the region must put in more practical efforts to transform the sector.“For them to maximise the available resources to address the issue of poverty, and particularly the high level of unemployment prevailing in the region, they must put in place policies that can attract investors from within and outside the country,” he told the northern states.

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